Safety railway gate



May 2l 1929- l J. F. BuRcH ErAL 1,714,074

y SAFETY RAILWAY ATEl Filed March 2s, 19,27 3 sheets-sheet' 1 0*Niall-1:12*

v N I:

May'2l', 19249. J. F. BURCH ET AL SAFETY 'RAILWAY GATE Filed March 26,1927 3 sheets-sheet Wim wh-CV Patented May 21,1929.

"UNITED A.STATES JOHN FREDERICK BURCH AND ARNOLD HARRISON MORT'OLL orBILL-mes, MONTANA SAFETY RAILWAY GATE] Appiication ined March 2s, 1927.serial Na. 178,671.

The present invention relates to improvements in safety' railway gatesand has for an object to providea gate structure and operating mechanismfor the crossings of railroads, whereby both a visual and audible signalwill.. be given to motorists and pedestrians in a more substantialattempt to avoid disasters at grade crossings.

It is another object of the invention to provide an automaticallyoperating gate and signal apparatus in which the movement of the deviceto the operative -or danger position will be'controlled by the advanceof a train;

and in which the mechanical parts of thede-` vice will begrouped intosmall compass for easy and faithful operation and for economy in themanufacture and installation of the apparatus.

A'further object of the invention resides in providing'an automatic gateand signal device for railway crossings which .will dispense with t-henecessity for gatemen and .eliminate the human elementin the operationofthe device, making the actuation ofthe signals most positive.4 y e v;

With the foregoing and other objects 'in View, which will readilybecomeapparent to those skilled in this art, the invention `will be describedthe more specifically hereinafter in connection withthe accompanyingdrawings, in which like symbols refer to like parts throughout theseveral views, andin which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a safetyrailway gate apparatus constructed in accordance with our presentinvention;

Figure 2 is avertical section taken through the apparatus on an enlargedscale with portions of the gates broken away;

Figure 3 is also a vertical section taken at substantially right anglesto Figure 2;.

Figure 41s a horizontal section taken on the line 1 -4 in Figure 2; A

Figure 5 is a fragmentaryside view of one of the gates, with a portionofthe stop light casing broken away; l

Figure 6 is a transverse line 6 6 in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a topplan view of the apparatus in the operative position;and,

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic view of the preferred form of circuitarrangement.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the apparatus consistsgenerally of one or more gates, two such gates 9 and 10 besection takenon the ing .shown in the embodiment of the appara-A tus illustrated;such gates as shown in Figure 1l being normallyheld in an up-raisedinitial position and adapted to be swung down to the substantiallyhorizontal position indicated in dotted lilies for indicating by theoutstretched condition thereof the approach of a train towardthecrossing. Itwill be noted that these arms in no sense constituteabarrier to the crossing, but on the contrary they are suspended by anappropriate pedestal at an Indicating position which is well above thetops of vehicles, an automobile be' ing indicated in Figure 1 to showgenerally the relation between the vehicle and the signal apparatus. Thevehicle canpass freely beneath the signal apparatus without damageeither to the gate or tothe vehicle; yet .the gate is clearly visible tothe driver of the vehicle and constitutcsa visual warning that cannot beoverlooked, or ignored. L

I'n addition, each gate preferably carries ahnumber of pendantpreferably flexible dei vices 11,. which are pivotally hung from thearms as indicated at 12 and are of a length to vextend down in front ofportions `of the vehicle to be struck by the vehicle -in passing beneaththe gate, whereby in a more effective manner to bring to the attentionof the driver of the vehicle the danger condition of the gate apparatus.These pendants will be constructed of such flexible material as to avoidinjury to the vehicle or the finish thereof.

The gates are pivoted ator near' their lower endsas indicated at 13 and14 to laterally extending lugs .15 and 16 Ona casing or housing .17,which is mounted at the upper portion of the pedestal 18. This casing isar-l ranged to confine the working parts of thev device and's providedin the sic e'walls thereof adjacent t'he lugs 15 and 16 with slots 19and 2O. Through these slots project the right an'gularlyturned terminalends 21 and 22 of the gates 9. and 10. These terminal ends are slottedor forkedas indicated at 23 and provided with thepivot pins 24 and y25with which the outer ends of the links 26 'and 27 are connected. Theselinks extend inwardly and into slots 28 made in opposite sides of a andmounted for movementalongthe'threaded shaft'32, which is shown asmounted sub-4 stantially vertically-'inthe casing 17, having .its upperreduced end 33 received in a bearing collar 34, aiiiXed Vto the top ofthe casing lwhile its lower reduced end 35 isarranged torestuponabearing bloclr36, held in a bear} ingbox 37 extendingdownwardly from the bottom of the casing 17 and having the retainingflange 38 by which the-bearing 36 is held` in'place, -Anyotherbearingmeans might be employed, itbeing A'understood that 'theshaft is` capable fof a` rotary, but `netof an axially sliding motion, 1'whereby when rotation isimpartedto-such shaft, the 'riut 29 will becaused to traverse the shaft longitudinally in accordance with thedirectionjl'of rotation' v thereof. The movement may be derived from anyappropriate source, for in'stance, from theele'ctric'motor 39'shown asmounted vin the. casing "17 andghaving on' its armature shaft" thebeveled pinion 14() `disposedv in mesh with 'the c'omplemental beveledpinion 41 ailixed to the threaded shaft 32near its lower f 'sendo The`motor 39 wi-libe ofthe reversible type in ,order ,to shiftfthetravelling nut upA anddown the shaft 32, :1s-becomes necessary' in 4theraising and lowering of the signal gates. The gearing40, 41, .shown mayor may not beus'ed; in'many cases, a reduction gear will'loerequired.4

j hetravellingnut 29 as shown inFigures 3 and 4 isprovidedupon its rearfacewith a travelling Contact finger 42 arranged to move f in a groove43 'of a fixed'contact pillar. com posed of .three seCtionsnamelalowerrnost section 44 of insulating material or. offcon- `ductingmaterial finsulated'and cut ed from-` the source of current, an.intermedi-ate section 45 insulated asindicatedat 46 and47 from thead-joining sections, -and, an upper longer lcontact section 481insulated from the' inter mcdiate'section 45-- In up'wardmovementf thetravelling contact ,iinger42isadapted to successively wipe over' the,three sections v44,

45 and 48 in the order named. y

' which indicatesthe railroad crossing and 'in cross-arms.

Immediatelybelow,thdcagsing 17 vifs alamp housing. 50, having lenses 51"extending onall.

,practice these words vvi-ll be-,Wrttenon-the four sides as illustratedfWithin-the lamp housingfare ItWo 4'eleifitric lamps, ayellow lamp 52anda red lamp These lamps may be j, mounted in any appropriate way andthe cir# i `cuit)viresth'erefor `are led in through vthe hollowAp'edestffrl -18,Wliich pedestal isa convenient support 'foriholding theoil lamps 54 which city ordinances usuallyv require on` lstreetapparatus. The hollow pedestal 18 may Abe 'anged as indicated zit-55 to`receive the4 bolts-or other astenings 56, by which it'is connected to-theheavy base Thebase is f On the top of the casing 17; may be placedY, the Ausual cross 'armffindica'ting device', 49,

also preferably hollow or provided with a passage to admit-'the' wirestocthe lamps52 and i As shown inFigures y1 and 3, an electric bell 58.is employed, this 4bell being mounted at anyV convenient point 'on theapparatus.; -In the present -case,we have illustrated vit as ai'xed tothepedestal 18.

The interior of he casing .17;is1accessible'. u

through a door '59 hinged as indicated at 60 to the front `wall-'of suchcasing. This door and the opposite exterior wall ofthe casing will formlexcellent'backgrounds to bear such .inf scrptionsas'fSaety first andthe entire .pe d' `e'stal mayrbe painted in the black andi-white stripedarrangement`l4 which vhas now been commonly adopted as "a danger' signalin itself,` f

v The gatesare constructed of metal or other approximate material of thedesired length and "shape but they-preferably include at sub stantiallya midway point stoplight-casings,

such for instance, as shown in- 1igures 5 and 6, in which the-metallic'casing is indicated l generally at (5l-andthe red bulb thereinat 62. The glass panels are represented' at63 fand, show at both sidesof the gate. lThese panels preferablybear the word .Stop.

Either the lamp *or tha-panel. maybe tinted l In Figure-8 is also shownabattery or other sour'ce of current() Tfor operating the light-1. ingandbellcircuit. .The-yellow lamp 52 in fthe lamp housing 50- andthebe'l1'158 are preferably connected in multiple in a circuit 7l,

7.2,. which includes the'int'crmediate lcontactl section 4.5,.thecontact finger ',42,'travelling` l andthe red stop lamp 62 .in ythegatesare also.n

preferably connected in parallel in .a circuit 7 3, 7 4' which includesalso the uppermost'con'- tactsection 48, thejrnovable contact finger 42,l

travelling'nut 2 9 Srew Shaft, 32, retun wire 72 a1'1d the battery V70.

the parts is as shown in fulllines in Fi. ure

In operation, the initial inactive position of 1, inV which conditionboth the motor 'an the light circuits areopen and no lights areburningfsave the'oillam'ps 5 4. As a 'train approaches the crossing, itwill close the circuit 65, 66 through the'electric motor 39, therebyl lrotating the screw",sh aft"32"and elevating the travelling nut' 29.-Thisnut, 'duel to its connection through'the'links 26 and 27 with lamphousing 50. This yellow lamp showsy from four sides of the housing 50through the four lenses `l, which are placed at right l angles to oneanother.' The light canthus be seen in the roadway from both directionsand it is also visible by the engineer of the approaching train, so asto apprise him of the lfact that the apparatus is lin working order.

As the travelling nut 29 and its contact finger 42 continue t'o rise,the contact finger passes off the intermediate contact section 45 and onto the uppermost contact section 48 whereupon the circuit to the bell 58and-the' yellow light 52 is'i'nterrupted and the circuit through the redlamp 53 'in the housingand the'red lamps 62 in the gates is closed.

We have thus established an-initial period in which the yellow lampis-lighted and the bell rungto both visibly and audibly notify thoseapproaching the crossing of the near presence of the train. lVe havevfurther'established a final condition in which theI caution yellow lampgives place to the red danger signal and in this latter condition thegates reach their lowermost position in which the pendant devices l1 arestretchedacross the roadway and in addition the red lamps 62 areilluminated behind the stop panels.

elevated either ,slowly or' rapidly and this result may be obtained bylchanging the pitch i of the threaded shaft 32 and Inut 29, or the sameresult may be accomplished by a change in the ratio ofthe gearing 40,41.

After the train has passed the crossing, the motor 39 will be reversed vby means of any appropriate well-known mechanism, as for instance, theautomatic reversing switch67 and relay construction; .The arms are thuselevated to the position shown in f ulllines 1n Figure l and the lightcircuits interrupted,

thus placing the device in condition for the next actuation.

When the gates descend to the lowermost position the automatic apparatus67v will open the motor circuit and the motor will thus cease to run,economizing on the further use of current. Of course, the motor circuitcould be I of successive crossings.

closed manually as by the use of button` switches or the like, and thiswould be par-- crossing the road at adjacent points'. Incase a singlegate arm is used, the pedestal could be placed at the side ofthe road,rather than at the middle and from one to four of the pedestals could beplaced at each crossing.

It .will be obvious that many changes in the construction, combinationand arrangement of parts could be made, which could be usedwithoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, and we do not mean tolimit the invention'to such details, except as particularly pointed outin the claim.

Having thus described our invention, what we claimand desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is In a railway gate signal, apedestal,`a pair of spaced gates pivoted on the pedestal and each havingan angle'arm at its inner end', a threaded shaft in the Ipedestalbetween and substantially in the plane of said angle arms, means forturning theshaft, a traveler nut 'tracks permits, as where two mainlines. arel finger, links betweenthe angle arms andthe l .y traveler nutforrlowerin'g the gates gradu- The gates 9 and 10 may be lowered andallyupon the upward travel of theinut on the shaft, a contact pillar in thepedestal in parallel relation to the shaft andhaving a vertical groovetherein for receiving and 'hold-Y ing the finger of the traveler nut,said con- -tact pillar having in said groove bottom, in-

termediate and top fixed contacts insulated.

4from one ,another and from the pedestal and over vwhich said finger isadapted to traverse,

` loo a warning signal circuit including said interimediate contact" andthe traveler n-ut tombe closed by. the latter during the initiallowering of the gates, and a danger signal circuit including said topcontact and the nut to be `closed by the latter during the final closingofthe gates and while the knut remains in contact with the top contact.

`JOHN FREDERICK RURoH. ARNOLD HARRISON MoRroN.

los'

